


Anchor

by Macx



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-23
Updated: 2011-05-23
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macx/pseuds/Macx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malcolm gets stuck, literally, when he is impaled in a collapsed part of the ship with only Hoshi Sato as help...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> The answer to Louise’s Challenge:
> 
> Malcolm gets skewered, impaled, stabbed or something similar, no getting shot this time, this idea was inspired by the movie "Pitch Black" when the navigator gets impaled while sitting in his chair *ew*
> 
> Only one rule, "No Deathfic"! These are bad, and must not be allowed. Just kidding, so long as there is a warning, write what you like ;)
> 
> Can be on a ship, or on an away mission, or even shore leave.
> 
> Make use of these sentences: "Get it out of me! Now!" and "No! Don't touch it!"
> 
> Hoshi gets to be the hero for a change.
> 
> Try to include as many of these things as you can:  
> a teddy bear or other stuffed animal  
> any Die Hard movie (or any movie where lots of things get blown up)  
> pancakes with peanut butter *yuck*  
> a foot massage (or any other body part you prefer)  
> Halloween  
> Somebody getting caught in public in their underwear
> 
> Well, here is my attempt…

 

A soft moan penetrated the silence.  
Dark lashes fluttered as eyes rolled briefly behind closed lids.  
A hand twitched.  
Ensign Hoshi Sato looked at the man lying beside her, her smudged features drawn in worry and fear.  
The eyelids fluttered again and this time the eyes cracked open, revealing blurry gray-blues, full of confusion and pain.  
“Malcolm?” she asked softly, taking the twitching hand in her own.  
She hadn’t really let go, except a moment ago when she had sorted through the medical supplies next to her on the floor, preparing another hypospray. She massaged the cold fingers, felt them weakly trying to close around her much warmer hand, squeezing it as she kept up the soothing touches.  
Another moan.  
“Malcolm?”  
“Ho-shi?” The voice was ultra-soft, raspy, shaky. “Don’t tell me… we’re still.. here?”  
She smiled bravely. “I hate to say it. Yes.”  
“Oh. Bloody hell.” The curse was a bare breath of air.  
Hoshi twitched a smile.  
“How long?”  
“Five hours.”  
“Bloody hell,” he murmured again. “What’s taking them so long?”  
“The whole structure’s pretty unstable. The last time we talked the captain told me that they have to be careful.”  
It should have been a normal away mission. She and Malcolm, as well as the Captain and a crewman, were to explore an ancient relic of a ship floating in space. There had been no life signs, no activity of any kind. So Captain Archer had decided to send off an exploration team. Hoshi had been along because of her lingual abilities. Malcolm had declared that someone had to be there to keep an eye on things. To protect them.  
Now he lay here, on the floor, in a caved in section of the relic.  
Hoshi drew a shaky breath and squeezed the hand once more. “I need to check the wound, Malcolm,” she said calmly.  
Calmer than she felt.  
He swallowed, eyes briefly flashing with fear. She hated to see the fear. The armory officer was such a strong man… and now he lay pinned to the floor, a thin spear-like protrusion fixing his left shoulder to the ground.  
It had happened from one moment to the next. Hoshi couldn’t really recall it. There had been those awful creaking noises, a shout of warning, someone shoving her aside, then the world had become a place of loud noise, dust and tumbling darkness. When the dust had settled, she and Malcolm had been cut off from the others, in a small pocket of air and space, and Reed had been on the floor, the thin, long piece of debris through his shoulder.  
The force of the entry had not only rammed the metal rod through his shoulder but also into the floor. He was effectively pinned down. Thank god the wound didn’t bleed much. The spear was stanching the blood flow. Hoshi had no idea if he was bleeding internally.  
She shuddered to remember Malcolm’s screams in the beginning, the whimpers and pleas of, “Get it out of me! Now!”  
She couldn’t have removed it even if she had tried to do so. The spear went straight through flesh and bone, into the floor plating. And then there was the fact that the rod wasn’t all smooth. It had ragged edges, hooks and teeth. She would simply aggravate the wound.  
“Do it,” Reed now whispered, visibly bracing himself.  
She nodded and carefully peeled away the already cut uniform and shirt. The wound was reddened, dried blood clinging to its edges. Even with the antiseptics Phlox had gotten to them, it looked worse than before. Whatever dirt had been driven into the wound, whatever foreign particles were now coursing through Reed’s system, the simply antiseptic didn’t really help all that much. He had developed a fever.  
“Malcolm?” she asked as she prepared the cloth and bandage.  
“Yes?” he ground out.  
“Can I ask you something?”  
“Sure.”  
“It might be personal?”  
A little snort escaped the feverish man. “If it is about my love life, please… don’t.”  
Hoshi chuckled, squeezing antiseptic cream onto the cloth. Like everyone, she knew Malcolm was no longer available, even if she had had hopes in the beginning. The lieutenant and Commander Tucker were an item. A very tight and wonderful to look at item, in her eyes.  
“No. I know all about it.”  
That got her a fractionally raised eyebrow. “Then you know more than me, Ensign.”  
“It’s about… your eating habits.”  
 “I beg your pardon?”  
“Uhm…” Hoshi carefully started to spread the antiseptic on the torn skin, drawing a moan from her patient. “Pancakes and peanut butter?”  
The moan turned into a confused, then surprised grunt. “It’s a delicacy,” Malcolm hissed.  
“I think it looks disgusting.”  
Another hiss. “My grandmother made it quite often. Whenever I came to visit.”  
Hoshi stopped, then blushed. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to…”  
“No, it’s alright. It can be disgusting to look at, but let me reassure you. It tastes wonderful.”  
Her nose crinkled in doubt. “If you say so.”  
Sato began to cover the wound carefully.  
“I’ll initiate you to the wonder of pancakes and peanut butter when we get back,” Malcolm promised, voice strained. He was trying not to cry out as she taped the bandage to the skin.  
The medical supplies were slowly running out. Archer had them beamed over right after she had managed to make contact with Enterprise and Phlox had given her advice on how to use the hyposprays and creams. They had helped, but Malcolm had still developed a fever by now. Phlox had warned her not to overuse the painkillers. Drugging him up to his eyebrows wasn’t the best of ideas. Hoshi cast a worried look at the pale features. Reed’s eyes were closed and his breathing sounded more labored.  
“Malcolm?”  
He blinked his eyes open, but it seemed to be quite an effort.  
“Just checking.” She gave him a smile.  
“Not going anywhere,” he whispered.  
“I hope not.”  
The communicator beeped and she answered the call.  
“Ensign Sato, this is Dr. Phlox. How is Mr. Reed?”  
Hoshi sighed and took Malcolm’s hand with her free one again. She got a trembling squeeze.  
“He has developed a fever, Doctor. I’m keeping the wound clean, but I’m not sure it’s doing much. It looks bad. He’s in a lot of pain and sometimes the muscles spasm.”  
“How is the infusion?”  
Hoshi checked the transparent bag of clear liquid. She had never had to insert an IV needle anywhere and putting the needle into Malcolm arm had been the worst experience so far.  
“Half empty.”  
“Good.”  
Phlox continued to ask her a string of questions, checking on Malcolm’s general condition, sounding professional but less cheerful than normally. That alone told Hoshi how bad it was.  
“Shouldn’t I try to cut the spear off?” she asked when he had finished. “Each movement results in pain.”  
“No! Don’t touch it!” Phlox ordered. “The Captain reassured me that they are close to completely stabilizing the section you and Mr. Reed are in, Ensign. It won’t be much longer.”  
Did Malcolm have that much time left? He looked so incredibly weak.  
“I’m fine, Hoshi,” Malcolm’s voice rasped.  
She chuckled. “Sure. Fine in your vocabulary means ‘not dead yet’.”  
He grinned briefly, then grimaced in pain. “Apt description of my situation, don’t you think?”  
She grimaced. “British humor?”  
“Realism.”  
“How does Trip bear it?” she asked with an air of feigned desperation.  
“Actually, he bears it very well, thank you very much.”  
Hoshi ran a thumb over the cool skin, counting each knuckle. She knew that on Enterprise, a blond Chief Engineer was wearing down the deck plating, wishing he would be here. And so did she. Trip would be better suited than her to do this.  
Another gentle squeeze had her look up.  
“You’re doing fine, Ensign.”  
Pep talk from the gravely injured man. Great. Suddenly Malcolm inhaled sharply. His eyes watered and he couldn’t suppress a small cry of pain. Muscles spasmed in the injured shoulder and the lieutenant rode them out, tears quietly streaming down his hollowed cheeks.  
Hoshi talked softly to him, ignoring the crushing grip he had on her hand. She had no idea what she was saying, but after a while he relaxed, his features smoothing slightly. It took a minute longer for him to open his eyes.  
“So what happened to it?” Reed choked.  
“Huh?”  
“The teddy bear.”  
Hoshi blinked. “Huh? Oh!”  
So he had heard what she had been talking about. It was a good sign. He was still attentive enough. The teddy bear... the old, scruffy stuffed toy her grandmother had given her when she had been five and come down with a nasty cold.  
“I wanted to return it to grandmother,” she continued. “I said I was all better now and didn’t require a companion any longer. She gave it back to me, told me that he was mine. He would watch over me every time I’d get sick, help me to get better. He was a family bear and would always be there.” She blushed slightly. “I still have him. He reminds me of her.”  
He smiled faintly. “What’s his name?”  
Hoshi cleared her throat and looked away. “Mr. Smith.”  
Malcolm’s eyebrows rose fractionally. “Mr. Smith?”  
She shrugged. “I liked it at the time.”  
He smiled, eyes sliding shut again as the exhaustion became greater.  
From somewhere in the distance, banging and creaking could be heard. Hoshi prayed it was the rescue team and not the ship breaking apart.  
“Mr. Tucker.”  
The soft murmur drew her attention back to her injured friend. “What?”  
“’S the name of my teddy bear. Mr. Tucker.” Malcolm’s eyes cracked open, appearing more clouded than before.  
“Trip the Teddy?” she laughed.  
“He likes to cuddle, but you don’t have that from me.”  
“Your secret is safe with me,” she vowed.  
Hoshi looked at him, studying the sharp-angled features, now so pale and hollow; the gray eyes, normally so full of life and hidden humor, sometimes outright mischief. Malcolm Reed was a good friend, someone she had grown close to over the two years they were now serving on the same ship. If not for Trip, there might have been something more than friendship. Malcolm was a very attractive man, in spirit and in body.  
“You love him,” she stated.  
“With my heart and soul.”  
“He’s a very lucky man.”  
“No,” Malcolm whispered. “I am. He loves me. All of me. Just me.” He smiled again. “Sappy.”  
“Very. But true. You look good together, even if you still keep it all professional on duty.” She grinned.  
“Cardinal rule: no making out on duty,” was the reply. And the voice was fading again.  
Hoshi caressed the pale face.  
“Who won the pool?” Malcolm suddenly murmured.  
“Huh?” Then she blinked. “You know about it?”  
A faint smile. “I’m the bloody security officer. I know everything.”  
The ensign grinned. “Liz did.”  
“Ensign Cutler? Oh.”  
“Well, she guessed the date right. Travis was so close. Just a day too late.”  
“I see.”  
Hoshi looked fondly at the man. Of course he would know, she berated herself. There had been a betting pool how long it would take the two senior officers to realize that the other was mooning just as badly, to get together and kiss and… well…. that. Liz Cutler had won, much to her delight.  
The noises were coming closer. The rescue team.  
“Not much longer and you’ll see him again,” Hoshi told him, squeezing the cold hand, making him open his eyes. “He’ll probably mother you to death.”  
“Probably. Trip’s a mother-hen. There’ll be a lot of cuddling…” He twitched one corner of his mouth. “Not that I’m complaining.”  
“Who would?” she said lightly. “Cuddled by the commander. I’d stand in line for that.”  
“I rent him out on weekends.”  
Hoshi laughed, seeing a glint briefly light up the dull eyes. Smoothing back an errand strand of hair, she pressed her palm onto his forehead. Too warm.  
The communicator beeped again.  
“Sato,” she answered.  
“Ensign, this is Archer. We’re almost through. How are you?”  
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Malcolm’s getting worse, but he’s awake.”  
“We won’t be much longer. Archer out.”  
“What was your most embarrassing time ever?” the young Ensign turned to her patient.  
Malcolm blinked, eyes gritty. “Huh?”  
“C’mon, Malcolm. Tell me.”  
“Academy. Navy, that is,” he finally said, voice trying to get stronger. “Locked myself out of the room. In my underwear. With an Admiral walking around the corner just that moment.”  
Hoshi couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. “Oh, I wish I had seen that!”  
“No, you don’t.”  
She giggled. “So what happened?”  
“The Admiral just gave me this Look, then remarked that since it was Halloween, I had chosen a scary costume indeed, but it might be a bit cold running around in Smiley faces underwear and socks…”  
Hoshi laughed out loud again. “You didn’t.”  
“I did. It had been a gift from my sister.”  
“Oh god!”  
“Yours?” Malcolm asked softly.  
“High school. Chewing gum in my hair. It was about the length I had now and it was quite a wad of gum. My mom cut it all off… because I had tried to cut out the gum first and it left me with that huge hole in it. Well… it was close to a crew cut. And the next day the yearbook pics were taken.”  
Malcolm gave her a sympathetic look.  
“The way they are working, we might make it back for the movie,” Hoshi changed the subject.  
“Foreign classic?” Malcolm inquired.  
“American action move. Something about an asteroid about to hit Earth.”  
“Oh. One of those.”  
“I think it’s called Armageddon.”  
“What else would they call it?” Malcolm murmured, faint sarcasm in his voice.  
“So… want to accompany me?” Hoshi smiled. “Things blow up.”  
Reed grinned. “Sounds lovely.”  
Suddenly there was a loud banging and then part of the obstruction, which had formerly been the ceiling and had now blocked them off from the passageway, dropped away.  
Hoshi had instinctively shielded Malcolm, trying not to jar his shoulder. Still, he hissed in pain. “Sorry,” she whispered.  
He just nodded, teeth clenched, lips a thin, white line.  
And then Archer was suddenly there, and Dr. Phlox, as well as two crewmen with welding torches and other equipment. Hoshi tried to step back, but Malcolm was still holding her hand and he wasn’t letting go.  
“Please?” he begged.  
She shot the doctor a quizzical look and Phlox nodded, smiling briefly as he examined his patient. So Hoshi held on. She didn’t look away when the crewmen cut off the spear under Phlox’s instructions. She didn’t complain when Malcolm’s hand nearly crushed her smaller one as the Lieutenant had to be moved to remove the spear from the deck plating. A hand dropped onto her shoulder and squeezed it. Archer was directly behind her.  
Malcolm cried out again when they put him onto the stretcher they had brought along. Phlox didn’t want to put him under completely or give him one of the much stronger painkillers until he knew what exactly the condition of his patient was.  
Hoshi didn’t let go as they lifted the stretcher and awkwardly maneuvered it through the debris to the shuttle. Malcolm’s half-lidded, pain-filled eyes were on her, holding on, his anchor.

* * *

Trip sat beside his sleeping lover, hands entwined, his free hand caressing the still too pale face. Malcolm had come out of surgery just fine and thanks to modern medicine, his broken shoulder blade would be fine, the bones fused back together. He had to wear a sling for a while, but there would be no permanent damage.  
The waiting, the sheer helplessness, had eaten away at the engineer. He wished he had been with Malcolm, but it had been Hoshi instead. Hoshi Sato, squeamish and skittish Ensign Sato, who had grown so much stronger throughout their mission, who had become such a different person. She had done what had been in her power, given first aid, had kept Malcolm alive and awake. He owed her.  
He cold have lost his lover otherwise. Malcolm could have slipped away, deeply unconscious, in shock and weakening by the minute. Hoshi had kept a level head, had followed the doctor’s orders, and done her own magic. Trip had been there when the shuttle had come in; he had seen the joined hands, the death grip Malcolm had had on the young woman.  
There had been no thought of jealousy. No doubt. No fear. He had known that whatever had occurred, Malcolm had laid his trust in Hoshi, had anchored himself to her, his life line.  
“I owe her… you,” he murmured, brushing his fingers through the dark hair. “Wouldn’t know what to do if you had… slipped away.” He chocked in the last word. “Love you so much.” Trip leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss over the warm skin.  
No longer too warm from fever. Oh thank god.  
The door opened and he looked up, smiling as Hoshi hesitantly walked forward, then stopped.  
“Hey,” he greeted her.  
She smiled and took the friendly expression as her cue to come closer. “Trip. How is he?”  
“Sleepin’. He came through surgery just fine. Everythin’s going to be okay. Thanks to you.”  
Hoshi looked uncomfortable. “I didn’t do anything.”  
“You kept him alive.”  
“I simply followed the Doctor’s orders.”  
Trip shook his head. “You did a lot more. I know Malcolm is too stubborn to simply lay down an’ die, but he was in shock. He wouldn’t have made it without you. Keepin’ him in the here an’ now.”  
She looked at their joined hands and Trip nodded.  
“He held on to you.”  
Sato bit her lower lip and there was a brief moment of panic. “It’s not what you might think!”  
Trip smiled. “I know that. I didn’t mean it like that, Hoshi. You were his connection to reality.”  
The communication’s officer cleared her throat, embarrassed now. “Uhm… Well… could you tell Malcolm that I came by? And I’m sorry that he can’t make it to the movie. We had a date.” She flashed Trip a smile.  
“A date, hm?”  
“Yes. For Armageddon. Things blow up.”  
“Ah,” he drawled. “I see. His kind of movie spectacle. Well, I’ll let him know that the date is off. Bet he’ll be crushed.”  
“Terribly sorry.” Hoshi’s eyes were sparkling. “Well… later…” She waved and was gone.  
Trip turned back to his still sleeping lover. “Makin’ dates behind mah back, huh?” he murmured, thumb rubbing over the back of Malcolm’s hand. “Bad boy.”  
But you’re my bad boy, he thought with relief. And you’re back. To stay.  
He placed a gentle kiss on the knuckles of the hand he held.  
The hand squeezed his lightly. Trip looked up and gazed into a pair of familiar, beloved gray eyes. Malcolm looked a bit woozy and still mostly out of it, but he was awake.  
“Hey.”  
A smile answered that.  
“You know, there are quieter and more humane ways of giving me a heart attack,” Trip murmured, the expression in his eyes taking the sting out of his words.  
“Sorry,” Malcolm whispered through dry lips. “My… way of… keeping things… interesting.”  
Trip thought he could hear the tsunami of relief splash against the shore of worry and fear. “How about you work on boring and quiet for a while?” he suggested, caressing his lover’s face. “For me? A personal favor? The guy who loves you?”  
Malcolm smiled again, eyes drooping shut again. “I’ll try,” he said tiredly. “No promises.”  
And then he slipped into sleep again.  
Trip grinned. Yep, no promises.  
I love you, Malcolm Reed.


End file.
